Here to Stay

The entire area bustled with activity as every man able to move began dismantling the camp, or what remained of it after the devourer’s attack. As the man who dealt the final blow to the devourer, I was told by the Earl to just rest.

I watched as people lifted crates filled with equipment onto one of the six carts drawn by horses. One cart loaded the dead bodies of those who fell to the devourer, covering the gory site with the cloaks of every man, each with the same yellow symbol embroidery I found when I woke up. Two more carried the devourer’s body separately after having been skinned and chopped to pieces to be loaded efficiently and easily on the carts.

Speaking of which, I should probably check the hollow tree once more.

I stood from my seat and went towards the tree where I awoke to a new world. Entering the tree, I analyzed the surroundings. The cape was still in the same spot, sprawled on the floor. I noticed just ahead that there was a sword in a scabbard that I must have missed when I woke up. That must have been Aelius’s — my sword. That must mean that the cloak was also mine.

Wasting no time, I picked up the sword and attached the scabbard to my hip while I took the cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders, fastening the buttons to prevent them from falling off. Wearing the sword and cloak felt weird. It had only been a couple of hours for me since I got reborn into this world. Yesterday, I was Kuroda Riku. I was in modern Japan, driving around with colleagues, packing a gun. Now, I was wearing a cloak and carrying a sword in another world.

I let out a deep sigh as I let the heavy thoughts slide off my mind and walked out of the tree, still holding the sword I had picked up during battle. Everyone had almost packed away everything into the carts. The Earl and the unharmed survivors of his retinue were on horses, waiting for everyone to finish the last bits of packing. The people I fought with were climbing up onto two of the carriages. Matrius and Haephir were on one cart while Dieter and Gallus were in the other.

Seeing Matrius and Haephir’s cart full, I walked over to the other one. Whilst climbing up, Gallus extended his hand to which I took and was subsequently pulled up. I took my seat at the edge. Across on the other side was Gallus, who was trying to shut the tailgate.

“Hey, Aelius.” He called, “Pull the rear board from your side.”

I bent down and grabbed the tailgate from my end, and coordinately, Gallus and I raised it and locked the hinges.

Gallus called out to the carriage driver, “We’re all set!”

“Alright, let us go!” A soldier in the Earl’s retinue shouted.

As the driver yanked the reins, the wheels of the carriage started turning, and soon, the open space of the forest where the camp used to be grew smaller and smaller. The wind was blowing through the trees. The once blue sky had turned orange, signifying the afternoon’s arrival and that the sun was to begin its descent.

“Hey, Aelius. How much exactly do you remember?” Dieter asked beside me.

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering that myself. You moved confidently, even killed the devourer that killed you.” Gallus said.

“I’m not dead.” I blurted.

“Still, for a memory-less guy, you sure do have memories of fighting in a reckless manner.”

“Why was I always such a reckless fighter?” I asked.

“Nope, we haven’t actually seen you fight since you don’t spar a lot.”

“Aren’t we soldiers? Shouldn’t I be doing some form of training?”

“Oh, we train, but we’re city guards. We’re not soldiers. We’re free to do our own training on our own time.”

“Wait, I’m a city guard? Like a police officer?”

“Well, not an officer, but we sure do a fair bit of policing inside the city and on the gates and walls, but yeah. Pretty much.”

From the one who commits the crime in my world to becoming the catcher of criminals in another. How ironic.

“Wait, if we’re city guards, what are we doing out here?”

“Well, occasionally, we do get sent out on missions inside the Earl’s territory. Sometimes, some bandits are causing a commotion, or sometimes a monster like the devourer is causing havoc, and we’re sent to deal with them, mostly accompanying some of the Earl’s personal soldiers that are sent to deal with the problem, though,” Dieter explained.

“The point is, what you just did was something unbelievable for someone who’d lost their memory,” Gallus said.

“Well, I don’t remember anything at all. Maybe I’m just naturally talented.”

“Your humour certainly hasn’t died off, that’s for sure.” Dieter chuckled.

As I looked ahead of the convoy, I spotted that the carriage was about to exit the forest into a clearing. The bright light blinded my eyes. No longer did the forest obscure the land. I stood up, mouth agape, indulging in the sight that lay before me.

The land stretched with fertile green grass, the gusts of wind swirling into the waves. Beyond the orange horizon were the plains. Near the path we were riding on, I spotted fields of wheat and barley, dancing along with the grass as they’re tickled by the wind blowing through them. Small trees in the open field were swaying with the wind, as if they were waving at me, welcoming me to the world.

The sight was just something to behold for a city folk like me. The sweet scent of fresh air was something I had just noticed in the calmness of it all.

Suddenly, I stumbled as the cart’s wheel bounced on a rock. I quickly found support on the cart’s protruding side boards.

“Better sit back down if you don’t want to fall.” Dieter chuckled.

I exhaled satisfactorily. “This world is beautiful.”

“First time seeing the fields again, huh?” Dieter said.

“It’s like you’ve been reborn entirely,” chuckled Gallus.

Nervously, I laughed along. He had hit right on the mark.

The voices of kids’ gleeful shouts caught my attention. I had noticed that we were passing small, humble hovels placed along the field. They were farmers and ranchers. The kids were running around playing tag, while it seemed like their parents were preparing dinner as smoke was exiting the chimneys of their houses. Some people were talking to each other, while others just loitered around, lying on the grass with their hats made of straw on their faces, or sitting on chairs with their feet up smoking pipes.

There were smoking pipes in this world, which meant there was tobacco or something similar. 

Noted.

Everything was so relaxed when it was so intense only a couple of hours ago. Gallus was out cold in his seat, snoring. I gripped the sword in my hand tightly.

Dieter looked at the sword. “Is that the sword you killed the devourer with?”

“Yeah. I picked it up during the battle. I wanted to hold on to it for now.” Dieter stayed silent. “It sure is peaceful considering there are monstrous beasts in the forests,” I said.

“The monsters don’t really approach small settlements, let alone large ones like cities, and the forests of Mikinstra are free of monsters like goblins and dire wolves.”

“Mikinstra? Is that where we are?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s correct. Gosh, you probably don’t know what our kingdom is as well, don’t you?”

I opened my mouth, but he held up a hand to stop me. “Never mind that. That was a stupid question to ask. We’re in the kingdom of Auriun, in the west of the continent.” Dieter yawned, shuffling in his seat to find a comfortable position. “If you have more questions, you should just ask Gwenn when you get home…”

“Who?” I asked.

Dieter snored, an answer that sufficed to end the conversation.

I guessed that everyone else was tired, and just then, I had also noticed how fatigued I was. In the cart filled with men who were sleeping soundly, I sat at the edge, snoring.

. . .

I woke up to the sound of people yelling. It seems I wasn’t the only one who awoke to the noises as everyone in the cart was groaning and grumbling awake. The sun hadn’t completely set yet, but it was darker compared to before. The fiery skies were now tamed and cooler.

Gallus kicked my feet. “We’re home, Aelius.”

I looked ahead of the convoy, and beyond the rows of horses pulling wooden carriages stood a series of tall stone walls that stretched widely, blocking the once open view of the plains that I saw. Small houses lined the walls from the outside. People were looking at us, bowing as the Earl marched onwards.

We passed through the open gates of the city, going underneath the stone archway. I sat on the cart, my mouth agape as I took in the sight of the city’s true face. Compared to the houses outside, the structures on the other side of the walls were much better-made. Not only houses but also commercial buildings, by the look of the signs.

We didn’t get far from the gate as the drivers stopped the horses just as we entered the city, going to the side so as not to block the way. Our entrance wasn’t a big deal. If I thought about it, the only important aspect of this whole endeavour was that the most important man in the city was with us. Guards were saluting, lined up.

Opening the tailgate, I hopped off the cart and continued basking in the sight of a European-style medieval city. I felt like a tourist, and in some ways I was, but it seemed that I was more than just a visitor and was here to stay. I then saw people running towards us.

“Dimitri!” a woman shouted, leaping into Dimitri’s arms.

“Did you miss me, love?” He asked as he caressed her cheek.

She smiled. “Is that even a question, you silly firelynx?” She said as she kissed Dimitri.

Five children, three boys and two girls, ran past me as they dove into the big arms of Gallus, all shouting “Dad!”

“Oh, you little troublemakers, you missed Dad that much?” He said as he lifted his youngest daughter in his arms.

A woman walks past me, carrying a baby in her arms. “They would not stop pestering me all day.”

“Now there are two more joys in my world.” He said as he kissed his wife.

I saw in the corner of my eye Haephir leaving the scene alone, and then it hit me. Other than the shock of Gallus’ virility being that of a rabbit’s, or the passionate love displayed by Dimitri and his woman, what would’ve been only a series of happy reunions clashed with the sombre wailing of the families who’ve lost their loved ones. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, wives with their sons and daughters, shed streams of tears as they mourned the family they had lost.

The Earl turned his horse to face us. He inhaled and began to speak loudly.

“Guardsmen of Dumanos, I cannot overstate how proud I am to have brave and strong men such as you guarding our cities. The sacrifices of those who fell in battle are the greatest sorrow this city has experienced, as well as I. But their sacrifice did not fall in vain, for we stand here back home alive. And for that alone, I thank you, the men who survived battling the creature, but most of all, I thank the fallen for their sacrifice and bravery. Dumanos is truly proud to have such brave sons defending it. I will ensure that they and their families receive rewards accordingly. “Thank you.” He said solemnly as he bowed to the families and the fallen.

The Earl turned and began riding away, his retinue following behind him closely. I stared at the families who mourned their loved ones. One of them mourned a body I recognized. His face was more at peace, eyes and mouth closed, no longer exhibiting the same face of shock I saw at first.

“Excuse me.” I approached the family as they looked at me, their eyes red. If I had to guess, it was his father and mother, with one woman around his age who is probably his girlfriend or wife, since her hair colour differed from that of both the body, the mother, the father, and the two other people who were also mourning, probably his younger brother and his sister, the youngest in the family.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but this sword…” I raised the sword into view, “… It was his. It’s also the sword that killed the monster. Here.” I extended my hand, offering it to them.

The father stood up and took the blade in his hand. “Gilbert. His name was Gilbert Greyes.” I nodded at the name. “Thank you for giving back his sword.” He forced out, his voice breaking as he cried.

I continued to stand there and watch as the father walked back to his family, kneeling to his son, continuing to grieve.

I realized I had done something I never would’ve done. I turned with a smile. When did I get sentimental suddenly?

I raised my head to the sky, staring at the darkening clouds. Dropping my sight back down and staring at a tree. The leaves were turning red. Is it already nearing fall in this world?

“Dad!” shouted someone young, a little girl.

“Father!” This time it was a young boy.

The thought of more kids seeing their dead father made my heart ache, reminiscent of the parent I had lost.

Out of nowhere, another shout came, a woman’s. “Aelius!”

Aelius? Someone’s calling for me?

I turned to spot two kids already near me. Their golden hair and emerald eyes resembled those of the woman running towards me. The little lunged at me, her arms open. As I caught her, she squeezed me in her embrace, followed by the boy, who hugged me after. Both yelling a word used by children to call their male parent. “Dad!”

Right after, the blonde woman slid to her knees beside me and hugged me as well. “Aelius, thank the gods you’re safe.”

I’m… I’m a family man?